The vivacious dancers and floats of Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival seem to embody Brazil’s verve and swagger. At the other extreme, there are the unspoiled waterworlds of the Amazon basin and the Pantanal, where all kinds of wildlife flourish in quiet, barely inhabited pockets. Our specialists have a great affection for this cavernous, contradictory country. They’re enthusiastic about showing you its many incarnations on a Brazil vacation, perhaps taking you from the undeveloped beaches of the Northeast Coast to the bookish colonial town of Paraty in the south.
We can point you toward experiences that only a vacation to Brazil can offer: you might not expect to find an opera house on the edge of the rainforest, but it exists in Manaus. And, where else can you see capoeiristas refining their dexterous dance-come-martial-art on beaches at sunset — or catch spontaneous bursts of samba drumming in the middle of a busy street?
Suggested tours for Brazil
These tours give you a starting point for what your vacation to Brazil could entail. Treat them as inspiration, as each trip is created uniquely for you.
Suggested activities for Brazil
Whatever your interests, our specialists will build activities into your trip that connect to how you want to experience Brazil.
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Lençóis Maranhenses National Park Lençóis Maranhenses National Park
São Luís & Lençóis Maranhenses National ParkLençóis Maranhenses National Park
Visit some of the following lakes: Lagoa Esperança, Lagoa Bonita and Lagoa Azul where you will have the opportunity to swim in the turquoise waters and relax on the white sands.
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Maracanã Football Match Maracanã Football Match
Rio de JaneiroMaracanã Football Match
The Maracanã football stadium was built in 1950 for the World Cup and is the biggest stadium of its kind, holding at one point, before terraces were converted to seating, more than 200,000 fans.
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Rio by Night Rio by Night
Rio de JaneiroRio by Night
There is no other place in Rio that embodies the 'alegria' or happiness of the Brazilian people more than the nightlife scene in the neighborhood of Lapa.
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Best time to visit
Our specialists advise on the best months to visit Brazil, including information about climate, events and festivals.
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Useful information for planning your vacation in Brazil
The official language of Brazil is Portuguese, but there are many Indigenous languages spoken across the country. English is spoken in larger cities and the main visitor destinations.
The currency of Brazil is the real (R$ or BRL). ATMs are widely available, and most machines take all credit cards, as well as Cirrus and Plus cards. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, as are bank debit cards.
In Brazil, you should try the traditional feijoada (meat stew with garlic and black beans), moqueca (fish stew made in a clay pot), and pão de queijo (cheesy bread rolls). Meat lovers should seek out Brazil’s churrascarias, steakhouses where the adoration of barbecued meats reaches feast-like proportions.
As you travel, you’ll find lots of regional variations in the food served, as well as plenty of tropical fruits such as cupuacu (a large, chocolatey fruit), açaí (hard, purple berries), and jaboticaba (tree grapes). Other sweet treats to look out for include brigadeiros (Brazilian chocolate truffles) and quindim (coconut egg custard).
To drink, try cachaça, a sugar-cane rum best enjoyed in a caipirinha, a cocktail with lime, sugar, and ice.
A 10% service charge is added to the total in most Brazilian restaurants so no additional tip is necessary unless you feel the service was exceptional. If no service charge has been added, a tip of 10% will be appreciated. Drivers and guides will also appreciate a tip. Your specialist can advise on appropriate amounts closer to your travel dates.
For the latest travel advice for Brazil, including entry requirements, health information, and the safety and security situation, please refer to the Canadian Government Travel & Tourism website.
From sun-drenched beaches to historic cities, thundering waterfalls, and the glories of the Amazon Rainforest, Brazil offers history, culture, wildlife, and relaxation in equal measure. In Rio, you can see the towering statue of Christ the Redeemer, take a cycling tour of Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, visit the favelas, or join the exuberant Carnaval celebrations.
You could stay in a stylish Amazon jungle lodge while monkeys hoot and whoop, explore the wildlife-filled wetlands of the Pantanal by canoe, take a buggy ride across the towering sand dunes near Natal, or stand in the mist of the cascading Iguaçu Falls.
The legacy of the Portuguese is everywhere, and a walking tour of one of Brazil’s historic cities brings this period of history to life. Alternatively, you could tour the Maracanã football stadium (which opened in 1950 to host the FIFA world cup), or explore architect Oscar Neimeyer’s crowing glory, the modernist city of Brasília.
Brazil has a wealth of places to stay from luxury hotels to beach resorts, family-run guesthouses, and historic boutique hotels. In the cities, you’ll find chic and stylish urban retreats, historic homes turned into charming small hotels, and boutique hotels set in grand mansions.
Brazil’s pousadas (guesthouses) are often set in historic buildings, but can vary greatly in size and character from sleek and stylish small hotels to waterfront escapes set in lush gardens.
Along the coast, you can stay in a private beachfront villa or an eco-resort offering water sports, riding, and rowing, while in the Amazon or Pantanal, you could stay in a simple floating hotel or opt for an exclusive lodge with just four rooms and individual attention.
For more ideas and to start planning your trip, take a look at our collection of places to stay in Brazil.
Rio, Iguaçu Falls, the Pantanal, Salvador, and the Green Coast are some of Brazil’s key destinations. Brazil, however, is larger than the contiguous United States and you’ll spend a lot of time flying if you’re hoping to see them all in one trip.
Most visitors arrive in Rio de Janeiro and enjoy a few days exploring before heading inland to Iguaçu Falls, the Pantanal, or the Amazon Rainforest, before relaxing on the white-sand beaches and exploring the tropical forests of the Green Coast where you can visit the historic town of Paraty and the sun-kissed shores of Ilha Grande.
To the north, you can explore the wonderfully historic city of Salvador or the Amazonian capital Manaus before discovering the towering sand dunes at Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, relaxing on the beach in Olinda, or snorkelling in crystalline waters in Fernando de Noronha.
The Pantanal is the best place to see wildlife in Brazil. An area of seasonally flooded wetlands, the Pantanal is home to wildlife similar to that of the Amazon basin but it’s much easier to spot than in the dense jungle. Here, you can see capybaras and caimans relaxing in the sun, large jabiru storks surveying the grasslands, and anacondas lurking in the shadows.
Although jaguars are always elusive, there are some specialist lodges here that give you a good chance of spotting these graceful big cats. Meanwhile, monkeys and marmosets swing through the trees, giant anteaters snuffle in the leaves, armadillos amble along, and river otters glide through the water, while brightly hued toucans, macaws, and parrots flit overhead.
It takes around ten hours to fly from Toronto, Canada to Brazil, and around 15 and a half hours from Vancouver.
Brazil has four different time zones ranging from UTC-2 hours to UTC-5 hours. Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Brasilia are all at UTC-3 hours. Daylight Savings Time isn’t observed in Brazil.
The best way to get around in Brazil is by road and by air. The country’s vast size means that distances between sights can be great, and it may be best to try and concentrate on just one part of the country such as the south or northeast, combining road travel with a private driver-guide and one or two internal flights.
If you’re hoping to see as much as possible in one trip and take in highlights such as Rio, Iguaçu, the Amazon, and Salvador, you’ll need to fly between destinations.
Canadian citizens don’t need a visa to visit Brazil for stays of up to 90 days. Citizens of other countries should check entry requirements as a visa may be required.
Speak to your doctor about vaccine advice for Brazil and ensure you’re up to date with routine vaccinations at home. You can also check the suggested vaccinations for Brazil on the Government of Canada - travel vaccinations website.
Your passport should be valid for six months beyond your date of departure from Brazil and have at least one blank page.
Brazil in pictures
Our expert guides to traveling in Brazil
Written by our specialists from the viewpoint of their own travels, these guides will help you decide on the shape of your own trip to Brazil. Aiming to inspire and inform, we share our recommendations for how to appreciate Brazil at its best.
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My travels in Brazil
Brazil likes to put on a show, as specialist Jeff’s footage shows. Pantaneiros (cowboys) riding across the world’s largest tropical wetland, acrobatic capoeira, and the panoramas of oceanside Rio — you could potentially see it all on your own tailor-made trip.
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Where to go in the Amazon: planning your journey into the rainforest Where to go in the Amazon: planning your journey into the rainforest
Where to go in the Amazon: planning your journey into the rainforest
Audley specialist Rebecca shares why she loves the Amazon, but explains that planning a trip there comes with a few caveats. She suggests you ask yourself: what is it I really want to see and do in the rainforest?
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What to do in Brazil: our highlights guide What to do in Brazil: our highlights guide
What to do in Brazil: our highlights guide
Country specialist, Georgia, chooses some of her favorite things to see and do and where to stay in Brazil. Highlights include spending time in Rio and Salvador, the Amazon and the Pantanal’s wetlands, the best way to see the Iguaçu Falls and her pick of Brazil’s many beaches.
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Family vacations in Brazil Family vacations in Brazil
Family vacations in Brazil
Why you should consider a family trip to Brazil, and what to do once you’re there. From hotel and resort recommendations to how to see Rio, we explain the best ways to experience Brazil’s key highlights as a family.
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Luxury vacations in Brazil Luxury vacations in Brazil
Luxury vacations in Brazil
It’s not so much about Brazil’s luxury resorts and beachside glamour, says Audley specialist Rachel. For her, luxury travel in Brazil comes from superb guiding and artistic properties committed to conservation. She suggests five stops on a Brazilian luxury tour.
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Bitesize Brazil: how to cut down internal flights but not experiences Bitesize Brazil: how to cut down internal flights but not experiences
Bitesize Brazil: how to cut down internal flights but not experiences
Planning a trip to Brazil? Hate flying? Here are four ways of seeing some of the country’s standout highlights — including sultry Rio, the spectacle of the Iguaçu Falls, the Amazon Rainforest, and some secluded beaches — with minimal internal flights.
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Machu Picchu plus one: tried-and-tested South American combinations Machu Picchu plus one: tried-and-tested South American combinations
Machu Picchu plus one: tried-and-tested South American combinations
Did you know that thanks to ever-improving flight connections, you can easily combine Machu Picchu with other South American destinations such as the Galapagos and Argentina — without the need to extend your trip drastically? Our specialists explain how.
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Honeymoons in Brazil Honeymoons in Brazil
Honeymoons in Brazil
Plan your perfect honeymoon to Brazil. Country specialist, Tom, picks some of the country’s highlights, from exploring the Brazilian Amazon and spotting wildlife in the Pantanal to spending time on Brazil’s beaches and experiencing Iguaçu Falls.
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Best of brazil: tips for a first-time visitor Best of brazil: tips for a first-time visitor
Best of brazil: tips for a first-time visitor
Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and one of the most diverse, with a huge array of landscapes, people and culture. Discover our top tips for the best places to go on a first-time visit to this magnificent country.
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